The heat is on
Friday, Aug. 14 — Do you have a pile of old electronics lying around the house that you’ve been waiting to responsibly dispose of? Here’s your chance – the Sandy Springs Education Force is hosting an electronics recycling drive on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in North Springs High School’s parking lot.
🥵 The weekend weather will be in the 90s and feel even hotter with the city under a heat advisory until Saturday evening.
🚨 An employee of Massage and Medspa Solutions on Roswell Road has been arrested and charged with sexual battery after a customer complained about inappropriate contact during a massage. Sandy Springs police are now asking anyone else who may have experienced similar contact at the business to come forward. 11Alive has more.
📌 Five members of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners offered to buy the Atlanta City Detention Center in an Aug. 10 letter to Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta City Council. County officials offered to pay $56.5 million for the jail, which they say accounts for $75 million in necessary renovations at the facility. Read the full report here.
🍷 Early-bird tickets are available for the Sandy Springs Wine Festival taking place Sunday, Oct. 11.
🏐 The Sandy Springs’ 2026 Fall/Winter Adult Volleyball season gets underway this weekend. There will be leagues for women, men, and coed.
📣 The Riverwood Athletic Association is hosting a Battle of Sandy Springs Spirit Night at Hudson Grille on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Proceeds will support Riverwood High School athletic teams.
👩🏻🏫 The International Code Council (ICC) has approved Sandy Springs to be a preferred education provider. That means Sandy Springs staff can now help local professionals meet their renewal requirements by providing high-quality, practical, code-focused training. Learn more here.
🫶🏼 The Emory Goizueta Brain Health Institute is offering a free community program on caring for people with dementia on Sunday, Aug. 23 at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church.
SANDY SPRINGS SNAPSHOT: Rough Draft photojournalism intern Ansley Kelly snapped this peaceful photo of the City Green in Sandy Springs recently. Check out more of her favorite photos from over the summer.
Thanks for reading!
The Rough Draft team
⚡ Southern Company, Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR, is building stronger communities through golf. Since 1998, the TOUR Championship has raised more than $71 million for Atlanta nonprofits, fueling education, youth development, and neighborhood revitalization. That’s what it means to drive good energy, on and off the course. Learn more. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Fulton County schools superintendent to recommend property tax hike
🚌 Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney announced that he will recommend a 5.85% increase to the 2026 property tax rate at the Aug. 20 Board of Education meeting.
“Rising costs, increased employer contributions for health care and the Teachers Retirement System, inflation, and declining local tax revenue from senior property tax exemptions have created budget pressures,” the announcement stated. “To address these challenges, Dr. Looney plans to recommend a tentative millage rate of 18.08, about a 1-mill increase from the current rate.”
According to the school district, Looney emphasized that the recommendation is based on available information. If the yet-to-be-certified tax digest provides an opportunity to recommend a lower millage rate, he said it will be adjusted.
✍🏼 Read Hayden Sumlin’s full report.
Meet the People at the Heart of Perimeter’s Community
SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
🤝 Community doesn’t just happen. It takes people who create reasons to connect.
Meet Rosemary Watts of Create Dunwoody and Nikki Washington of Perimeter Connects, two leaders helping transform Perimeter into a place where people want to gather, explore, and belong.
📹 Watch their stories in the Heart of Perimeter video series and discover what’s bringing people together.
Help write the ‘Next Chapter’ of Sandy Springs
🌆 Sandy Springs officials are encouraging community members to attend one of two upcoming meetings to share their thoughts on the city’s comprehensive plan update, coined “The Next Chapter.”
The first session is on Monday, Aug. 17, from 6-8 p.m. in southeast Sandy Springs’ High Point neighborhood at the Church of the Redeemer. For residents who can’t make that meeting, there will be a second one on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 6-8 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Municipal Complex.
The state-required update to the city’s comprehensive plan occurs every five years, kicking off public input in late June. As part of the full rewrite, due for submission in spring 2027, the city also included an update to its parks plan.
📍 Learn more about the city’s “Next Chapter” here.
Helping children build healthier digital habits
👩🏻💻 As parents and students get settled into their back-to-school routines, Rough Draft’s senior health and wellness editor, Laura Scholz, provided this look at a tool that helps build healthy social media habits for young people.
Entrepreneur Juliette Blake, a parent to three young kids, has seen firsthand how quickly children are exposed to technology once they enter school. That’s why she created Moxies, a dedicated social media platform for tween girls. With age-appropriate content and built-in safeguards, it gives children a structured introduction to social media and helps them build healthy digital habits early.
“Technology is not going away,” said Jeremy Salzman, Psy.D., clinical director and founder of Intown Psychology. “The task is to introduce it deliberately, teach young people to use it responsibly, and create boundaries before unhealthy patterns become established.”
What’s it Worth?
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA FINE HOMES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
🏡 Set behind gates on 2.2± acres in Buckhead, this 11,801-square-foot estate features soaring ceilings, a heated saltwater pool, a Stanley Dixon-designed pool house, expansive entertaining spaces and a separate one-bedroom apartment with a private entrance.
❓ Guess the price below!
⚡ Southern Company, Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR, is building stronger communities through golf. Since 1998, the TOUR Championship has raised more than $71 million for Atlanta nonprofits, fueling education, youth development, and neighborhood revitalization. That’s what it means to drive good energy, on and off the course. Learn more.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
What’s doin’ around Sandy Springs
🛶 Aug. 15:Sandy Springs SUP Showdown at Morgan Falls Park
🍪 Aug 16:Summer Pop-Up Market at Battle & Brew
🧘🏼♀️ Aug. 17:Sound Bath Meditation at City Springs
🖇️ Aug. 19:Georgia Perimeter Chamber Signature Breakfast at City Springs
🗓️ Share your event on our free, online event calendar.
